BOWLING NOTES

Gisborne Times, Volume LII, Issue 5466, 29 April 1920, Page 3

BOWLING NOTES

By Toucher

Bowls Still Progressing. The air in full of rumours of new clubs about to be evolved having for their object the playing of the game o? bowls. As has often been remarked in this column bowls is a national pastime in this .Dominion and Gisborneites are not behind in their advocacy of the game. We have 'at present three clubs in our midst —Gisborne, ahutia, and Strangers, though the latter is more in the nature of a. private institution. In days gone by Poverty Bay bad two clubs on a somewhat similar footing to Strangers. They were the Whataupoko and Kaiti Clubs. The Whataupoko Bowling Club—ws formed in 1900 and had its green on the property of the president, the late Mr. Perris. Its playing"area comprised one rink only, while its membership stood at 25. The Kaiti Bowling Club was established about . the same time by that enthusiastic bowler, Mr J. W. Witty, for the purpose .of promoting emulation by inter- | club matches, for which he presented a very handsome ting for annual competition. It is- a peculiar fact that Mr Witty himself was camped on the site of this bowling green when serving in the colonial forces under the gallant Lieut.-Colonel Fraser, and Te Kooti was then a prisoner in the guard room prior to his deportation to the Chatham Islands, and looking towards the Kaiti Hill and beach could be seen, , standing close to the large Maori Run- : anga house, the handsome obelisk erj octed by the Government in honor of the loyal-chief Pl irini te Kano, who j I gave valuable assistance to the colonial j troops employed to put down the llaiihau fanaticism in Poverty Bay. Those days are past, and those clubs nre but incidents in the progress of bowls in this district. They have passed away as institutions do when evolution is at work. The old Te ,Pau Club, which on one occasion won the Northern Bowling Association's champion banner, is but a memory, and as a matter of fact this club existed only in theory. It bad no green, the members paid no subscription, and it was composed of some members of the Gisborne Club, who elected officers to this mushroom institution and played on the green of the Gisborne Club. Clubs of this nature, were abolished when tile Association depianded that alt clubs I must possess their own greens. I Time has passed since those days and the Ivahutla Club has come into being, ■which formerly was named the Turanganui Club. It has now reached the zenith of its prosperity. It lias a fine property, due greatly to the generosity of Sir .Tames and Lady Carroll, and I understand the Club is practically free of debt. The Gisborne Club, which lias one of the most valuable bowling properties in the Dominion, is steadily improving, its 'financial. position and liopes to be free of all encumbrances a few years hence. With the position as it is one is pleased to hear that a club is being formed at Te Karaka. .All bowlers wish the project every success. for Te Karaka is a centre which should be able to support a bowling club. There is also mention of a club on the Whataupoko. but whether it will come into being is a moot point, seeing that the expense of launching such an institution is. such a. heavy ffem at the present time. That it will come about some day is as. sure ns the sun rises, but in my opinion it will be situated at Mangapnpa. not Whataupoko. as the latter district is too near the town and is in too close proximity to the greens already in operation. A\ e bowlers wish these enthusiasts till success, toe the mote clubs there is the better for the pastinu

Decidedly in the Wrong. Some time ago a fact was brought under my notice which brought into question the powers of a skip and als>. his privileges. Where it. happened does not matter, indeed it might have happened at T.mbuetoo. Lhe_ game was in progress and was nearing its conclusion. One of the skips particular friends came on the green and in th.e temporary absence of the opposing skip- be hied himself with his friend to the pavilion and joined in a hand rtf'carci'S. When the other skip came to play his bowls he awaited his opponent. and becoming tired of waiting set out in search of the delinquent. Pie found him silting down at a hand at cards. When the other skip came mentioned here, but. one can guess the import of it. The skip may have thought he had a perfect right to cease play when he had had sufficient, ns he was the captain of his side, but any bowler will tell him he was wrong. There is a way of knocking off and that is the proper way. If a skip desires to get away for business or other reasons he has only to mention the fact to his team and as sports they will fall in with his wishes, but no skip has any right to pick up his bowls and leave, the green saying he has hail enough of it.

Those Challenge Games. ITueston’s rink, by winning against Armstrong’s challenging enk in the Gisborne Club’s A grade challenge Karnes last Thursday by a .single point, had luck on their side. In their game the previous wc'ek that got home by two points on the last head. Armstrong gave bis opponent a good run, who could not. do better than just win. Certainly the challengers did not. ‘ entertain”' the holders. . ’ There was some slaughter in the Halforil-Adair match on Thursday last for the Gisborne Club's 11. grade challenges. "Redstone, Sinclair. Oxenham, and Adair got together and circumvented the holders so cleverly tlia there was no chance of escape. the holders were made use of as chopping Hocks and every score was a point notched against them. A total of _l points were credited to the challengeis while the holders secured but 14. The game on Saturday for the Gisborne Club’s B grade challenges was simnlv of passing interest. Sinclairs holding rink had Crawford s challengers “shaky” early in the game, and soon assumed the position of favourites. Eleven points is a big dnjeronce at? the business end. Crawford s rink won’t win a challenge this year as at. present constituted, and in saying this I am leaving myself open to attack, for one gets a lot of abuse ioi telling the truth nowadays.

Push in Bowis. Push in bowls is like push in Business. If you don’t get up-to-date the other fellow will surely get all your customers, and to simply ‘ walk about is no good. Many bowlers to whom a kind Providence has imparted angelic natures are content to "saw wood till the cows come home. There are as many varieties of bowlers as there are Gladstone Road complexions. Some never advance, and some advance too much. I sat in a tram the other day, and an awkward, all-over-the-town individual trod on my foot, stuck his elbow into my ribs, and then eat on my hat. He would malco a good bowler, that joker, for he would soon push from leader to boss cockie. Someone said something the other day about dealing with the emigrating trundler. Well, quite apart from "the mote in thine own eye.” it is a subject the average man had better leave alone. Bowlers will go where they please, and who will say them nay?

Tim Dissatisfied Bowler. Quite another thing is the "dissatisfied” bowler. He is a leader in. his club, perhaps a third man. and thinks it. is "up to them” to make him skip. He finds he has just scratched into the team in his old position, and leaves accordingly. . I am talking about the man who stands alone in thinking that his merits have been overlooked, and not the man whose genuine performances entitle him to take a noMitioiii over the "nice” chap, or the influential chap. Of course, you know that rare variety that crosses the floor of the house, as it were, and bobs up in a neighboring club. JTe .is prepared to "play anywhere he is asked,”

THE PASTIME AND ITS PLAYERS

but ho doesn't like to tell you that he expects "things,” so to say. He just goes in with his head down, bores his way into the wood of opportunity, and 6urely, but slowly, blossoms forth in the full armor of a skip—the bowler's ambition. There are very few "Goldies” about nowadays who throw the "jack,” straighten the mat, and keep on doin' it till the end. The Wowser. The late John Norton, it is said, coined the word “wowser.” and, like the bee on the terrier's tail, it stuck hard. Now, where is the man who will admit lie is a wowser” The editor will say that this has nothing to do with bowls, but the editor hasn’t yet been coaxed on to the green, else he wouldn't make such a remark. The wowser is as much related to the bowling green as Noah’s Ark was to the Flood, but. whereas there was only one Ark, and only one Flood, there are different kinds of wowsers. There is for instance, what the “digger” would call the “dinkuin” wowser, and there is the other kind. In some bowling clubs exception is being taken to billiard tables being put in, because, it is stated, they lead to gambling, etc. Oh, the wowser, he's a frowser, as ho treads the path of life. With liis one eye cast to Heaven, and the other on his wife. He’s as pious as a panther and as gentle as a goat, And he doesn’t care who’s sinking, no long as lie’s afloat. He'd sooner drink the water than he’d take it in his bath. And “you mustn’t play at billiards” if you'd tread the narrow path. Those Straight Woods. It is"rather remarkable (says the Sydney Sun) that users of nearly straight, woods resent any suggestion that their bowls are not up to bias requirements. They have been heard to say that they take the bias off thenwoods by their method of delivery; but if They attempted to take it off most of the. big draw-players’ bowls they would have to do some remarkable hail'd or wrist work to accomplish it, ATiy bowis taken to New Zealand will Jifive to pass the test without regard to feelings or protestations. The New Zeo.laiu? greens are mostly heavy, and the games demands more muscle. Our men when they go to New Zealand will carry the best wishes of local bowlers, but they will have to speedily adapt thcms’rfvps to the new grassy enclosures to come back crowned with laurels.

N.S.W. Singles Championship. The competition for this year’s single-handed championship of New South Wales Js history. -Mr J. Kinder, of the Northern District Association. holds the title. He defeated Mr 1 L Fraser, of Chatswood Club, after a good ’ contest for the most part. The green gave the contestants no cause at all for complaint. The northern champion. Air J. Kinder, saw the metropolitan topnoteher. Air G. Fraser. score first, blood it: the initial end. The visitor made things more than even when he notched two for the next. head. Then lie went on to mark one each through the third and fourth essays before losing the mat. Here, Afr Fraser chipped in with one. In triroe successive efforts Afr Kinder made 5—2, 2 and 1. Scores were now i) —2 in favor of The latter. Air Fraser rose well to the occasion, when lie counted 4 at the close of the ninth end. anil gathered one each in the next two. B—9. This splendid pull up was deservedly applauded. Air Fraser added' another to his total, and Mr Kinder came again with 2 and 1. Mr Ffaser added another to his total, and Air Kinder did likewise in his own interests. The board showed —Kinder 1” Fraser 9. Tile Kith. 17th, and ISTh ends were Air Fraser’s —one each. Tie had now scored 12 —only one behind. Air. Kinder altered the complexion of things completely when, in tie 19th. he placed three bowls nearer tHe jack than any one of his opponent’s woods. Not to be denied, .the Chatswood man secured the mat and held if. till, and inclusive of, the 22nd end at the close of which .lie was again only oue to the bad. One to Afr Kinder for the 23rd bead and two to his opponent as the result, of play in the 24th and 25th heads made the totals 17 all. Spectators acknowledged the merits of a great tussle, and the determined manner in which the metropolitan crack stuck to his adversary. At this stage Air Kinder bolted away. Landing where lie was appeared to put Air Fraser out of his stride. In successive heads Mr Kinder made 2,2 2 anil 1, and so brought his score to 24. while ATr Fraser froze on 17. The 30th and 31st ends favored the latter and brought him two. but tin's was of no avail. Air Kinder lodged four good ones in the 32nd, and one ■:n the 33rd end. Air Fraser was allowed the barren honor of notching the last point—one, on the 34th end. Full scores were: Kinder 29. Fraser 20. The winner will receive a trophy valued at iOgs, and the runner-up a prize worth sgs.

Westralian Rink Championship. A large crowd was present on the Kalgoolie green on Saturday (says the Boulder Evening Star of Alarcli 22) to witness the match for the champion fours of the gold fields. The weather was all that was desired for bowling, ami the spectators witnessed a close and exciting match—so close, in fact, that up to the last bowl of the day the end was in doubt. The match was oT 25 heads, anil on the last head Boulder —with the scores 24 and 25 —were lying the shot up till the captains went down. Jackson's first bowl was put round the back for position. Cox (Kalgoorlie) came up and pushed the shot, bowl out and laid shot. Jackson’s second try just missed trailing the kitty. AVith Cox's last, bowl rested victory or a draw, which would mean playing a deciding head. ’ lie followed up and rested his first bowl, and scored two for h ; s side, thus winning the match. Tie played two splendid bowls and received congratulations from all present. The scores and personnel of the teams were: —Kalgoorlie: Reynolds, Hughes, Dr. Walker. Cox (capt..). 25; Boulder: Hilton, A. Gos. Rice, Jackson (capt.), 24.

"Some” Record. "Tom” Williams lias won the Championship of the Ballarat Bowling Association, this being the sixth success in this particular event.. C. White, who was runner-up last season, again filled that position this year. Tough luck. Williams has also run up on more than one occasion. This tournament was begun in 1895-6, when "Jack” Williams (a brother to "King Tom”), who is the foremost player in Tasmania, won from Dr. Low. The following season the present holder almost followed np his brother’s success, being beaten by the then “daddie” of Ballarat. J. C. Smith, of Central. The remarkable tiling about, these Williams Brothers is their consistency. Twentyfive years without "going back” is a long time, and there is no sign of decay.

A Fine Private Club. According to a corresnondent of the Sydney Referee, the West Brighton Club, a private institution, is evidently "some” club. He says that they have beautiful, premises, a magnificent dining-hall, where members sit down to dinner every Saturday night. There are 200 members, and tlie club is considered rather The grounds are charmingly laid out, lovely borderings of choice flowers and vines, bowling and tennis grounds, and a neat little cottage for caretaker and wife. Here Sir Joseph Carruthers could indulge bis fancy for a pleasant Sunday afternoon’s roll.